Whoa! TMI, Dude. T-M-I-!-! (It’s a Résumé, not a Background Check.)

(Updated – Also see: Top 10 Things to Leave of of your Resume, by FishDogs)

I remember when I first got out of college in 1990 and was preparing to apply in person at a lot of places locally, I thought I would be one step ahead of the game if I put everything on my résumé that an employer would normally request on a job application. That way, I thought, I wouldn’t have to painstakingly complete all of those job applications!

Well, it didn’t work.

Each and every employer STILL needed me to complete their own job application, along with a signed authorization for them to check my background, credit, and references. (Note: What DID make things easier for me during that process was to keep a copy of one of the more extensive applications completed with all of my “from” and “to” dates, salary history, former employer contact information, etc., as a quick reference.)

The purpose of the Résumé, as it turned out, was to present my best impression in writing of my professional self and get my foot in the right doors. It was not to give anyone who happened to obtain a copy of my résumé enough information to complete a top-security level background check or steal my identity (Also see: Always remove your private data from any résumé posted online).

Following are examples of information that may be requested on a job application, but does NOT need to be on your résumé:

• Social Security #
• Physical Address
• Date of birth or age
• Health Info: height, weight, health status
• Marital Status, # of children (This shouldn’t be asked on the job application, either.)
• Photo ID
• Former names (i.e. maiden/married names)
• Salary history or salary requirements (If this is requested in the job posting, include it with the cover letter.)
• Exact dates of employment (Just the year, or month and year, is fine for a résumé.)
• Education history going back to K5 (The most recent college coursework and any degrees earned is fine on the résumé. On the job application, you’ll only need to list high school information if you have not attended college.)
• Reason for leaving former employers. (Note: On the job application, and in your job interviews, your ‘reason for leaving’ one employer is ALWAYS to forward your career, learn new skills, or take advantage of an even better opportunity. Always.)

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